A Copy
by HopeThePixii
Summary: What if you were a clone? A copy? You had no identity... And you were born differently? What if the world shunned you for it? This is the tale of Faith, a young Rattata clone, and her quest to find out why she was created.
1. Prologue

**A/N:**** I know I've already got two stories going, but I think I can handle a third! Besides, one is almost over, and the other is… Well… The other is second priority. XD This was just begging to be written, and besides, it's only the prologue for now. ;D**

**--**

SOMEWHERE IN KANTO

In a charred and destroyed area stands a newly built facility, tall and proud…And inside discoveries are being made as scientists hustle around.

Our story starts with one particular researcher as he hovers around an odd glowing machine. He jots down more notes as the top of the foreign device opens, smoke emitting. Once it clears, two identical purple eggs are shown. A female with black hair then hurries over.

"Sir, are you sure cloning is the best?" she asks worriedly. The man waves a hand dismissively.

"Of course. After all, this new, _better_ specimen will wipe the floor with any that confront it." he boasts. The woman sighs.

"Giovanni thought the same when we made Mewtwo, Jonathan." the woman states.

"But we won't make the same mistake twice. This time, we'll make sure the creatures are kept ignorant to their abilities before we release them." he says confidently.

"But we didn't release Mewtwo… He escaped." the female explains, confusion clear in her tone.

"Exactly." he smirks mysteriously. With a shrug, the female turns.

"What's your latest experiment?" she asks over her shoulder as she walks away.

"A rattata." his smile broadens as the girl leaves.

--

**A/N:**** Meh, you won't get the prologue until you've read at least the first chapter… But do you remember the island/lab that Mewtwo destroyed at the beginning of the movie? ;P That knowledge shall come in handy. Hmm… What else…**

**Oh yish! I need three other cloned Pokemon for the story. Here's what I'll need: (Just put it in your review!)**

**Name: Full please!**

**Family: They're obviously either adopted or orphaned, I just need that.**

**Location: Preferably in Viridian Forest.**

**Species: Has to be first evolution form… Except for Pokemon like the Raichu family… You can use the second form there. :P**

**Accessories: Only one. Please be descriptive!**

**Moves: Up to ten, and they must be moves that make some kind of sense! And no signature moves, please. (E.g.: Judgment and Spatial Rend)**

**Personality: Please make it descriptive!**

**Any odd colorations?: No, they can't be shiny! The kind I'm talking about is maybe a darker shade here and there/brownish black markings across some part of their body. (Think of the clones in Pokemon the first movie!)**

**-- The first three to give this sheet to me correctly (And in a review) will be used as some supporting chars!**

**Don't forget to review!**

**Pixii out!**


	2. Chap1: Different

**A/N: ****Hi everyone! Thanks for all the reviews and submitted characters, I really appreciate it! :) Someone said something interesting in their review for the Prologue… Am I really becoming a well-known author on FFN? :P**

**Please check out Dynamite Dude's story! Not only does it update fast, have awesome characters, BUT he was my first reviewer! EVER. I say you all go R&R NOW. :3**

**Lol, thanks again, and here's Chapter One!**

--

The sun shined down beautifully on the human path that cut through Viridian Forest. I could only see because I was hiding in an Oran Berry bush close to said path... Why I was hiding in the bush? Well... I didn't want to be teased or harassed at the moment.

I'm different than other Rattata, you see... My eyes are light blue. The fur that should be purple is light grey, and my paws and the tip of my tail are white. I've also got a pale pink bow on the end of my tail, but having an accessory is pretty normal.

I peered toward the path again as a human walked by. He had raven black, tousled fur on his head, and a Pikachu on his shoulder... Seeing as he would probably be another nuisance that only wanted me for my odd fur, I turned around and shot in the opposite direction, heading toward the entrance of my pack's burrow system. It's an intricate system of tunnels and large underground rooms, whether they be used for storage or sleeping quarters. The system is lit by torches set about every four feet.

Once I arrived at one of the openings, I carefully crawled in. Hopefully I wouldn't run into any of the other Rattata... They'd taken a liking to making fun of me and throwing things at me/beating me up lately... The Raticate had been ignoring me for quite some time...

As I made my way through the system, avoiding other Rattata of course, I looked around... The other pokemon weren't as fast as I was, nor were they as strong... This confused me. I was simply a mistake in creation, was I not? After all, Mother was normal, and the others in the pack were normal... But I wasn't. Shouldn't I be weaker than the others?

I shook my head. Of course I should be, but I wasn't. This was probably just another glitch.

With a relieved sigh, I walked into mine and my mother's sleeping quarters. It was simply a circular room with two beds of straw, but it was home. Mother was sitting on her bed, frowning in concentration.

My mother is considered attractive by others of our kind, even though she is a Raticate. Her light brown fur is always kept clean, and she's rather slim, all things considered. She has a light blue orb, an Escape Orb she says, hanging around her neck. She says it comes from an amazing land far from Kanto... She also says it was extremely hard to come by.

"Hello Mother." I smiled politely. She was snapped out of her musings.

"Hello Dear. Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?" she asked pleasently. I shrugged.

"None that I know of."

"Good. The storage room's low on food. We need to go out foraging." she said. I groaned. Foraging was possibly the most tedious task we had to complete in my pack.

"Can't we just say I'm sick? We could pull it off!" I pleaded. She shook her head and sighed.

"You know it's our duty to contribute to the pack."

"But no one in the pack even _likes_ me. I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I missed one trip."

"I know they don't like you, Dear. That's exactly why you must come with me. If you slip up, even once, they'll find a reason to exile you." she sighed. I groaned in defeat. She was right.

"When do we leave?"

"Now, if you're ready." she smiled apologetically.

"Alright..." I said reluctantly.

--

When we arrived in the small clearing we usually went to, almost every other member of the pack was present.

"Nice of you to finally join us Kira." the leader, Blade, commented bitterly. He'd ignored me since the first time he saw me... I'd gotten used to it. After getting orders, we all split up. I was assigned the job of gathering apples. Of course they'd make me climb a tree to get what I needed...

--

I now looked up the humongous trunk of an apple tree as large red apples hung tauntingly from the branches. With a sigh, I sat down and pondered how I was to get them down... Iron Tail might work if I slung it across the trunk powerfully enough... But I wasn't sure I could do that... With an angry sigh, I sat down.

Why did everyone have to come down on _me_ when they had a problem of their own? It was times like this I was glad to be an outsider though... I didn't like showing any form of emotion when other people were around... Well, besides my mother, of course.

With a reluctant sigh, I got up and tried to climb the trunk... Sadly, my claws weren't long enough to latch on efficiently...

And I fell back to the ground. With a growl, I tensed my muscles... and something very -odd?? Yes, odd would explain it...- happened. An orb of dark energy shot from my mouth, without my intention, and blasted three or four of the apples to the ground.

I blinked stupidly for a moment, my gaze switching between the fallen apples and the charred tree branch. I then turned instinctively as a twig snapped.

"What the Hell did you do?!" a male Rattata exclaimed as he emerged from some bushes, some Pecha Berries in a pouch hung around his neck.

"I-I don't... I don't... know..." I stuttered as panick overtook me. His eyes filled with rage.

"Damn demon!" he growled, shooting at me with blinding speed. I dodged expertely and released another one of those strange purple orbs at the Rattata. He couldn't dodge it, and instead took the attack head on. He was left panting on the ground as I stood in front of him.

"I don't want to hurt you." I whispered to the fallen mouse Pokemon.

"Leave me alone, you damn demon." he growled. I sniffed and walked brisquely away, forgetting completely about foraging... Luckily, I was able to get to a secluded clearing within minutes, the tears already starting to fall. I hated crying... It was a form of weakness... And I couldn't afford to show weakness.

I finally couldn't take it... All the name calling, harassment, and abuse I'd put up with in silence... I couldn't take it anymore...

"WHAT AM I?!" I shouted to the heavens, not expecting an answer.

"A clone." a voice said from behind, and I gasped.

--

**A/N: Here's chapter 1!! How'd everyone like it? Personally, I thought it was awesome. If something wasn't clear, feel free to ask about it in a review!! I don't think I've said her name in the Prologue or Chapter 1... It's Faith, so there! XD I get my Tablet in December, (Yay birthdays!) so I'll be able to post a link to a picture of her sometime in the near future. It'll be drawn by me! :D**

**Don't forget about reviewing, you guys!**

**Pixii out!**


	3. Chap2: Clones

**A/N:**** Sorry about TT's lack of updates you guys. I forgot to save when I wrote the new chapter, and my PC (Being the elder it is) shut down on me. I'm sorta upset about it, so you should probably just wait until next week for the new chapter. Okay?**

**On a different note, I think I'll do songs every chapter to help out with the "mood". Lol, this one will be "It's Not Over" by Chris Daughtry. He's a favorite artist of mine, and I usually play one of his songs while writing. (Besides Phil Collins ;D)**

**I once again apologize… Here's the next chapter!**

**--**

When I turned, there was a strange light purple Pokemon in front of me. He was tall, and had an air of power about him.

"What _are _you?" I squeaked fearfully. He smirked ruefully.

"As I said before... You are a clone." he repeated, ignoring my question.

"H-how do you know?" I demanded. He flicked his tail.

"I am one too." he explained. "You were made as some tool for humans... They created you, you were not born like other Pokemon." he said.

"It's not true... I've lived with my mother for as long as I can remember..."

"The humans must have planted your egg in a Raticate nest. Have you ever wondered why your fur is different? Why you are so much stronger than others of your kind?" he pushed.

"Yes..." I admitted regretfully. He chuckled darkly.

"Your mother has been lieing to you all this time, young one." he said. I shook my head stubbornly, though I knew he was right.

"But... but she... she wouldn't..." I mumbled, tears springing to my eyes. He shook his head.

"But she did... Now, I will be leaving... Good bye young one." he said, turning.

"Wait!" I called.

"Hm?"

"You never told me who you were..." I said softly. He chuckled darkly.

"Mewtwo." And with that, he teleported away. I made a series of promises to myself then. The first was that I would leave my pack behind... After all, they never needed me. The second was that I'd find others like me... Other clones... And the last was that I'd find out why I was made.

No matter the cost.

I sat there in the secluded field for around an hour before I finally decided I was ready to leave. With a Sitrus Berry in tow, I walked deeper into the forest... Hopefully I'd never have to return.

--

After about an hour I heard shouting nearby, as well as rapid buzzing. When I went closer to investigate, I hid behind a tree as a rather humerous scene unfolded. Three Beedrill were chasing after a Pikachu with a small pouch over one shoulder. He had honey coating his right paw and framing his mouth.

"Get back here!" one of the bugs screeched.

"I just wanted a snack!" the pikachu pleaded as he continued to flee. I giggled and walked out, any previous emotion wiped clear of my face.

"Do you need help?" I asked as he darted passed me.

"Please!" he exclaimed as a Beedrill got a little too close for comfort. I chuckled under my breath and used that odd orb of purple energy to shoot one of the wings. He yelped and the group buzzed off.

"They're all bark and no bite..." I muttered with a grin. The Pikachu walked over to me.

"Thanks for the help!" he exclaimed with a broad smile.

"You're welcome..." I muttered before turning away.

"Hold on! What's your name?" he asked.

"... Faith." I said simply.

"I'm Ikaru! You're pretty strong... How do you know Shadow Ball?" he continued, walking beside me.

"Is that what that was?" I muttered to myself before looking at the odd Pikachu and shrugging. "I figured out I knew it only today, actually." I said.

"Oh..."

"Why were those Beedrill chasing after you anyway?" I asked. He looked down sheepishly.

"I was hungry so I went looking for food... And I found their hive..." he trailed off. I smirked.

"You're quite odd for a Pikachu, aren't you?"

"You're one to talk... Heck, you're grey!" he exclaimed. I growled and shot a Shadow Ball at his feet. Luckily, he jumped back before it could hit. "What was that for?!"

"_Don't_ talk about my color." I said grimly. He shrugged.

"It's alright to be different... I mean, I'm an orphan." he said, putting his paws behind his head... But his right paw was still covered in honey, and it got caught in his fur. He didn't notice though.

"Ikaru... You might wanna clean your paws." I chuckled.

"Why?"

"Try moving them away from your head..." He shrugged and tried.

"Alri-- Ow!!" he yelped, pulling harder. I shook my head.

"Stop pulling... C'mon, I know where a stream is..." I laughed. He grumbled something unintelligable.

"Do you know why you're different?" he asked.

"Yeah." I said curtly.

"Why?"

"... I'm a clone." I answered flatly. His face lit up.

"Really? Me too!" he laughed. "Small world, huh?" he continued. I froze mid-step and looked up at him.

"How do you know?!" I exclaimed.

"Easy. This guy named Mewtwo talked to me." he shrugged as if it were no big deal and continued walking. I stood with my mouth agape for a moment before following.

--

We made it to the stream soon enough, and Ikaru got his paw unstuck.

"Done?" I laughed as he mumbled something about 'Stupid honey...'.

"Yeah, yeah..." he waved a (now clean) paw dismissively. A 'thump' was heard nearby, followed by a muffled 'Ow'.

With a shrug, Ikaru and I went to investigate. What we saw was probably almost as funny as Ikaru's Beedrill incident earlier. A Cyndaquil with darker fur than usual had fallen out of a tree, and was shaking her paw angrily at one of the branches as a Pinecho laughed at her.

"Any reason you're yelling at a pinecone?" I laughed as we reached her.

"I could've beaten you if you hadn't pushed me out--" she stopped mid yell to look at us. "Oh, hi! Sorry, I was fighting a pinecho and it pushed me outta the tree. I would've beaten it if _it hadn't cheated_!" she said rather loudly. Ikaru chuckled.

"You're funny. What's your name?" he asked conversationally. She shrugged.

"Name's Cody." she answered. "You?"

"I'm Ikaru, and that's Faith." he smiled, pointing to each of us respectively. "Nice to meetcha!"

"Likewise." she smiled, standing up. "So... Any reason you're grey?" she asked slowly. Ikaru flinched, awaiting my reaction. I sighed.

"Any reason you're fur's so dark?" I countered. Cody chuckled.

"I'm a clone." she smirked, watching my eyes go wide.

"How does everyone know before I do?!" I exclaimed.

"I only escaped from the human lab I was made at around a month ago... You'd have to be completely oblivious _not_ to know after living there all your life." she shrugged. "The only good thing that comes outta being a clone is starting out way more powerful than anyone else of my kind." she said proudly. I rolled my eyes and turned around.

"Well I'm leaving. Feel free to come along." I shrugged. Inevitably, I heard two more sets of footsteps behind me.

--

**A/N: I hope I got the personalities right you guys! We have a few more characters coming in soon! **

**Don't forget to review!**

**Pixii out!**


	4. Chap3: Cat and Mice

**A/N: Pretty ironic that the slowest updating story is the favorite of a lot of you, isn't it? XD**

**I'm just gonna take this time to say that the character submissions are closed, but thanks for submitting them, even if they were too late to be used….**

**My Email's been busted for at least 3 weeks. If I haven't responded to any PM's and such, I can promise that it hasn't been because I'm ignoring you.**

**Since I'm pretty sure I have a fair amount of fans on this story, I'd like to ask that (anyone that hasn't already) you guys vote on my poll!**

**I hash a request for you all. I know most fo you are TT readers, so I'm sure you know who Pixii and Synth are. I'd like for you guys to suggest some songs for their themes! :D**

**I'll stop rambling and get on with this long awaited chapter!**

**--**

We walked through the forest for a while after stopping to eat. It was surprisingly peaceful today. Pidgey flew overhead and Sentret scrabbled through the clearings. I loved it when it was like this. Mother and I-

I cut off my train of thought. That Raticate wasn't my mother. She never had been. I was willing to accept that now, though this didn't stop me from slamming an Iron Tail into the ground, a cloud of dirt flying up in response. The other two Pokemon looked at me for a moment.

"What's eatin' ya?" Cody asked. Before I could get a chance to answer a Meowth burst out of the bushes, however. Once he noticed us a wide grin formed on his face and he licked his lips menacingly. Fear welled inside me as he opened his mouth, revealing razor-sharp teeth.

"Hi...?" I said quietly, watching the Meowth carefully incase he made a move. The cat-pokemon smirked and took a step closer. I'd seen other Pokemon walk like that, and it wasn't to give you a hug.

"Run for it!" I exclaimed, darting in the other direction. Cody started walking toward the Meowth though, and Ikaru had to push her to get her running as the Meowth lowered into a crouch. He leapt forward and ran after us.

Quite ironic that a cat was chasing us, no?

The Meowth was only about two feet behind Cody, and he looked like he was catching up. I gulped, knowing what I was about to do was probably dumb. I opened my mouth, powering up a Shadow Ball as I turned on my heel. The other two raced by me, but the Meowth slowed down and smirked, though his sides heaved. I spat the Shadow Ball at him, hitting his front paw as he tried to dodge. I breathed in deeply, waiting for whatever move he'd make. I wasn't one for kicking others when they were down.

He smirked and stood, keeping pressure off his paw. The coin on his forehead glowed briefly, copies of it shooting at me rapidly. I hissed in pain as they pelted me, but the barrage was soon over. Unfortunately my oponnent didn't believe in the same things I did, and was already rushing toward me, claws unsheathed. I shut my eyes tightly, waiting for the inevitable pain. My ear twitched as I heard a yelp, then the scattered footfalls of a retreat.

I risked opening one eye to see a rather timid looking Pokemon. I'd never seen one of them before... She looked canine-like, but stood on two paws. Her body was blue and black.

"...Hi?" I murmured, looking up. She jumped slightly and looked down at me.

"Hello..." she replied, taking a step back. Cody and Ikaru stepped out of some nearby bushes; Cody grumbling about how she could've fried the Meowth, and Ikaru telling her she would've had no chance. She darted away before I got a chance to thank her.

With a sigh and a shrug, I walked back to the others.

"Hey guys. Thanks for leaving me with that Meowth." I said flatly. The Cyndaquil shrugged.

"If Ikaru over here hadn't made me keep running, I woulda burned that cat to a crisp!" she proclaimed. The Pikachu rolled his eyes.

"Sure..." he muttered sarcastically. She 'accidently' spit an Ember at his tail, which sent him rushing toward the nearby stream. Cody and I had to run to keep up. He disappeared from our sight for only a minute before we heard him scream. We sighed in unison and rushed around a bush.

Ikaru was standing stock still except for his tail, which was twitching nervously (and still on fire). An odd weasel-like creature (another I'd never seen before) with fins on it's arms, and two tails, was moving his paw swiftly across a white leaf; he held an odd stick that made markings on it. He glanced up at the Pikachu occationally, but didn't seem to notice us. I cleared my throat after about ten minutes of silence; the only sounds were the scratching of that odd stick and the symphony of the forest.

"Ikaru, if you don't exstinguish the fire on your tail it'll be burnt off." I chuckled slightly. He nodded and sprinted toward the stream. The weasel-thing finally noticed us.

"Hi!" he said cheerfully.

"'Bout time you acknowledged us." Cody growled. I walked over.

"What're you doing?" I asked, looking at the white leaf curiously. Markings that looked like a big headed-small bodied Ikaru were on the page.

"It's called a chibi. I drew it." the weasel said proudly. I raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment.

"What the heck are you?" Cody piped up. He looked over at her obliviously.

"I'm a Buizel." he said happily.

"A what?" I repeated dully. He laughed cheerfully.

"I'm a Pokemon from Sinnoh. A human with white fur dumped me out here a while ago." he explained. Ikaru chose this time to walk out from near the stream, his tail completely soaked.

"Geeze Cody. Did ya have to burn my tail??" he whined. She rolled her eyes.

"Shoulda let me fight that cat." she said with a shrug before walking toward the path again, Ikaru following. I sighed and started to go after them, but the Buizel spoke.

"Where ya going?" he asked curiously.

"We're leaving... Don't know to where yet, though." I replied with a shrug.

"Can I come?" he asked excitedly.

"I won't stop you." I said nonchalantly, walking on.

--

**A/N: There! Hm... ****Don't worry, Jerry'll be back. :D**

**Well... What to say, what to say?...**

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter, though it was sort of bad...**

**Our main villians come in next chapter! :3**

**Don't forget to review!**

**Pixii out!**


	5. Chap4: New Foes

**A/N:**** Hi everyone! **

**Here's the next chapter! ;3**

**--**

I flattened my ears against my head as we walked; trying to drown out the incessant shrieking as the Buizel (I'd learned his name was Float) tried to sing. Cody had tried every threat in the book to shut him up, but he'd come up with a bright side for each.

"_Pleease, oh baaaaby, don't go!" _he belted out; though not well at all. _"Simple and clean is the way-"_

"Shut up!" Cody roared, trying to burn the annoying weasel with her Ember attack… He dodged, but stopped singing. I sighed and looked at Ikaru, whom was nibbling absentmindedly on a Pecha Berry as he observed the forest.

We'd be out of here soon; I'd only come this far out once or twice. There weren't as many bird Pokemon singing here. Come to think of it; I hadn't seen any Pokemon at all for a while…

If there weren't any other Pokemon then that meant there were predators around; and these must've been larger than a Meowth. Heck, larger than a Persian!

I made sure not to let my worry show on my face as I turned toward the others.

"Guys, we need to find a different way out of the forest." I ordered. They all looked at me questioningly.

"Why?" Ikaru asked.

"Don't you notice that there aren't any-" I was cut off by the sound of rustling bushes. My head snapped toward them instinctively, my fur bristling slightly.

"Who's there?" Cody snapped quickly.

In less than a moment four new Pokemon stood before us; a male Tyrogue with darker purple skin than usual, male Cubone with some dark brown stripes on his back and tail, female Totodile with purple where there should be red, and male Drowzee with orange where there should be yellow. I knew for a fact that they weren't shinies.

"Looks like we've got Pokemon in our territory." the Drowzee noted.

"Figure that all out by yourself?" the Cubone asked sarcastically.

"Yup." the Drowzee smirked. The Totodile rolled her eyes and stood between them.

"Would you two stop babbling so we can address the problem at hand??" she snapped. Their faces immediately lost all traces of emotion as the Tyrogue waltzed to the head of the group.

"Why are you on our land?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Last time I checked the forest wasn't owned by _anyone._" Cody challenged. The Totodile stared hatefully at her, her eyes blazing; and stepped forward.

"Wanna bet on that?" the water type growled.

"Sure; how much you wanna wager?" she smirked. Ikaru stepped between them, trying to keep the peace (or salvage whatever was left of it… you pick.). They ignored him, however, and continued to argue. The Tyrogue soon stepped in.

"I _will _punish you if you do not stand down, Cyndaquil." he said calmly.

"And what gives you the right to threaten us?" I asked, an edge to my voice. He turned and smirked at me.

"Hm… Seems we have quite a few oddballs trespassing today, eh?" he laughed with his group. I growled, my eyes narrowing.

"Look at yourself, bud." I said. His annoying smile widened.

"I have. I'm quite a prize, don't you think?" he chortled. I raised an eyebrow.

"One Pokemon's treasure is another's garbage. Guess which one you are." I retorted. His smirk vanished, a furious scowl in its place.

"I'll repeat: Leave, or else." he ordered.

"Or else what?" Float asked curiously; no malice or challenge in his voice. I let out a sigh when the Tyrogue only looked at him angrily. I hadn't missed that they had quite a few type advantages; our odds of winning would be slim.

"Come on guys..." I said grudgingly after both of our groups stared each other down for a while longer.

Everyone, luckily including Cody; followed as I led I back down the path. When we were out of earshot and the noises of the forest became more pronounced again; I let out a sigh of relief.

"We could've taken 'em..." Cody grumbled as we walked down the path; Float nodding in agreement. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"You guys don't get it, do you? They had a type advantage for just about every one of us." I huffed.

"They looked odd, didn't they." Ikaru noted. To this, everyone agreed.

--

The light was soon fading; the sky turning pink and orange. My ankles and feet hurt from walking so much, and by now my tail was dragging carelessly in the dirt. From a quick glance behind me I confirmed that the others were as exhausted as I was. I huffed and closed my eyes breifly, trying to remember if there were any abandoned burrows out this far. When I could remember nothing, I opened my eyes again.

"We need to find somewhere to stay the night." I commented. "And something to eat." I added after a pause; noticing how hungry I'd gotten.

"Can't we just stop there and go to sleep?" Float asked, pointing toward an Oran Berry bush.

"No good. If we do humans might spot us while we sleep." I explained with a slight frown.

"What about under some tree roots?" Ikaru piped up.

"If you find a tree big enough to accomadate all of us, then it's as good a bet as any." I shrugged, though it burned my shoulders slightly to do so. A smile broke out across his face.

"Then let's go!" he exclaimed; running to the left. I raised my eyebrows, but made no comment as I followed; Cody and Float also pursuing.

When we reached him again; Ikaru was waving at us; his back against a large tree with a gap in its roots. I could see from here that there was a large burrow underneath. I smiled then.

"How'd you know it was here?" I asked curiously. Ikaru shrugged.

"I've been around here before." he said as he climbed inside, the other two following. The sky was a dark purple now; it'd soon turn navy.

After establishing where we'd all sleep for the night, we went out for food. We came back with an array of apples and berries; and once we'd had our fill, settled in for the night.

The funny thing about insomnia is; no matter how tired you are, you can't fall asleep. It was just perfect that this would be the case tonight; as my muscles begged for sleep and my brain tried to shut itself down. You have a lot of time to think in a lull such as night. And your mind wanders over trivial subjects such as what you were doing the next day; or how you'd reach a goal in life... Mine seemed to keep wandering to that odd group of Pokemon that had made us leave the area. They definitely weren't shinies, and seemed so smug about their abilities... They must be strong.

I yawned quietly; my insomnia finally breaking. I was lulled to sleep by the steady breathing of my companions and the fatigue of my body.

--

**A/N: Reviews are nice. :D**

**Pixii out!**


	6. Chap5: A Fiery Morning

**A/N: Hey all!**

**Well then; down to business. I feel so guilty 'bout not updating; considering this one's even more popular than TT is. XD**

**Uhm... Well, I moved a few days ago; so I'll be (hopefully) updating more quickly now. ^^**

**Special dedication to Pikkle and CIAD; Arceus knows they've been waiting far too long for this. X3**

**Enjoy this as much as you can. XD**

**--**

I awoke earlier than everyone else; despite having fallen asleep later. My paws and ankles still ached, but I'd just have to deal with it until we got out of the forest. I took a quick glance at the others as I stood. Float was on his back, sprawled out rather ungracefully. Cody was… well; Cody was where she'd been last night, except on her back. Ikaru was… on top of her. He must've rolled into that awkward position while he was asleep last night or something… I just wanted to see the reactions they each had when they woke up.

I tip-toed toward Float and woke him up; ushering him out without a word. He complied groggily, leaving the large burrow with a shrug. A wide smile spread across my face as I followed, hitting the base of the tree with an Iron Tail. The trunk shook and dust flew into the air; but no sound came from inside. My eyebrows furrowed as I peered through the cloud of dirt and into the burrow; though I was sent spiraling into a tree trunk a moment later as Ikaru burst out of the opening, yelling bloody murder as he tried desperately to escape Cody's wrath; she was burning everything in her path to ashes.

"I'M SORRY!" he yelped, narrowly avoiding having his arm melted off.

"SORRY MY-" she started to roar, the rest being muffled as she shot out another Flamethrower. I looked at Float from the corner of my eye; the Buizel was laughing hysterically as he rolled on the ground. I rolled my eyes, as Ikaru yelped in pain.

"Stop it!" he begged, clutching at his now extra-crispy tail. I looked over; Ikaru was on the ground, his front paws supporting him as he looked fearfully into Cody's eyes. The Cyndaquil scowled, shaking her stubby fist in the Pikachu's face as she loomed over him. She whispered something in his ear, making his eyes grow wide as he nodded vigorously.

"Good." she said triumphantly, backing up and rubbing her paws together in satisfaction.

"Now that that's over;" I started, waiting for everyone to settle down; "we should get a move-on. I wanna be at Mt. Moon by sun-down." I said, turning back to the path we'd been on the previous night.

--

It was now about noon, and we'd met little trouble. The only problems we'd had to face were Cody and Ikaru's constant arguing and Float's horrific singing.

As we burst into the unhindered glare of sunlight that came with exiting a forest, I winced. I'd grown up under the constant shelter of leaves and trees; sunlight wasn't even this harsh during the Winter inside Viridian Forest.

"Ugh..." I grunted, lowering my head in hopes of protecting my eyes from further pain.

"What's wrong?" Float asked obliviously, pausing from his singing for a moment.

"It's too bright..." I muttered, padding ahead without waiting to hear what he said in reply.

We were soon heading through the outskirts of Pewter City. The town's roads were paved in stone; and many of its buildings were built from the same material. Didn't surprise me; the human leader of the town _was _a Rock-Type en-slaver.

"Let's go in there!" Float suggested, pointing out a dark alleyway.

"You're not stupid, are you?" Cody snapped.

"Hey; he was only making a-" Ikaru shut up as she sent him a murderous glare.

"Guys; it's hot out here, and we might find something to eat if we go into the alley." I said logically. "And if not; at least we found some shade." I shrugged, walking toward it. The others followed behind, slightly reluctant as we made our way.

The alley smelled of rotting food and human trash; a large metal box-type thing was against one wall. The cramped space had puddles of dirty water in many places, but at least it was shady. I mean, the entire place was basically drowning in shadows. And it was definitely much colder in here than it was outside.

"Gee, _great_ place Float." Cody murmured sarcastically.

"... Isn't it though?" a silky voice chortled from somewhere in the shadows.

"Gah!" Cody hid behind Ikaru, using him as a shield; should anything jump out at us.

"Who's there...?" I called tentatively. A moment later a Sneazel walked out.

"And who might you be?" Float asked, somehow zipping passed me to drool over the Ice-type. I rolled my eyes, watching the Sneazel smirk.

"Name's Queen."

"I'm Float." he said cheerfully, eyeing her. Queen raised an eyebrow, stepping back.

"I'd say it were nice to meet you, but then I'd be lieing." she said with a roll of the eyes.

"Hey!" Cody, who'd come out from behind her 'shield', growled.

"Oh; I only meant him." she snickered, pointing a claw at Float.

"Well I'm Faith, this is Cody, and that's Ikaru." I said, gesturing at each of us in turn.

"You're a bit oddly colored." she chuckled, pointing at Cody and I. I stiffened slightly, forcing my reply to sound calm.

"It was a birth defect." I shrugged with false nonchalance.

... Same." Cody nodded.

"Well it's too crouded in here for my tastes, so I'll be leaving." she said rudely, kick-jumping up the walls and disappearing over a building; leaving Float to drool over where she'd been a moment before.

Well then; things sure looked interesting.

--

**A/N: Queen belongs to cloudykitty; don't steal 'er.**

**Review! ^^**

**Pixii out!**


	7. Chap6: The Fox and the Hound

**A/N:**** Hey all; I know you've been waiting quite a while for this, and I apologize profusely for the wait!**

**I decided to help C' out with a revenge scheme by posting this chapter when Pikkle has no clue it's up. :P**

**C's like. Awesome. And you don't wanna get on her bad side. XD**

**She also helped me out with a few important things this chapter, so I'mma thank her nowz. THANKS C'! X3**

…

**Timothy the Vulpix was her idea, too. =D**

**--**

"I'm hungry." Ikaru whined after about ten minutes of cooling off in the shade of the alley.

"That's too bad." Cody snapped sarcastically.

"Fighting won't do us any good, you know." I sighed, looking between the bickering rodent Pokemon.

"… Float, what the hell are you doing?" Cody asked bluntly. I turned to look at the weasel in question. He was doodling on the human wall with an odd white rock.

"Drawin'." he replied without looking up from his project.

"Drawin' what?" Ikaru asked, walking toward the Buizel.

"Nothing!" he replied hastily, covering whatever he'd been working on a moment before. Suddenly, a series of shouts and crashes erupted from somewhere near by; and, a moment later, a Vulpix ran into the alley we were hiding in, crashing into me in the process.

"Move it!" he grunted, scrambling to hide behind one of the human boxes. I shot him a hard glare before hiding as well. Several humans lumbered by the alley a heartbeat later, yelling something about a 'demon Vulpix'.

"What the hell was that about?!" Cody exclaimed after a few moments of silence.

"Maybe we should get _him_ to explain." I said, shooting another glare at the Vulpix, whom had come out of his hiding place.

"It's nothing _you_ need to know about, freak." he growled. I was taken aback by the hostility in his voice, though my face gave away nothing.

"You're one to talk." Ikaru snorted. Taking a better look at the Vulpix, I realized that Ikaru was right; the fox Pokemon's fur was a golden color, though it was caked in dirt and stuck out in most places. He was gaunt and obviously malnourished, as well.

"Oh shut up." he grunted.

"Hey! Show some respect." Cody growled, stepping forward.

"Make me." he challenged with a smirk.

"Maybe I will." she retorted, her back now blazing.

"Calm down!" Ikaru exclaimed, stepping between the two Fire-Types.

"Guys…" Float murmured hesitantly as the two went on bickering. "Guys!" he repeated, more loudly, after being ignored.

"What, Float?" Cody snapped.

"L-look." he said, pointing toward the entrance of the alley. The odd blue-and-black Pokemon I'd seen before was standing there, watching us with round, freighted eyes.

"What're you looking at?" the Vulpix sneered at her.

"S-sorry." she muttered, looking down.

"You don't have _any_ social skills, do you?" I asked the Vulpix rhetorically before padding up to the new arrival. "I never got to thank you for helping out with that Meowth yesterday."

"I-it was nothing. I was only doing what was right…" she murmured nervously. "I'm Jerry."

"I'm Faith." I nodded with a friendly smile. "That's Cody, Ikaru, Float, and..." I trailed off uncertainly, looking toward the shiny Vulpix.

"Timothy." he said curtly.

"Why don't you come with us?~" Float chirped.

"If you don't mind..." she answered shyly.

"Course we don't!" he exclaimed happily, marching out of the alley.

"Float... Where are you going?" I asked flatly.

"Uh..." He frowned in concentration before turning and walking back inside. "I dunno."

At this, we all face-pawed.

"I can just _feel_ my IQ dropping when I'm around you, so I'm leaving." the Vulpix said coldly before he padded out of the alley.

"Rude jerk." I grumbled.

"I heard that." he called without turning around.

"... You sure I can't burn him?" Cody murmured threateningly.

"He's got the FlashFire ability anyway. You'd only be powering _him_ up." Ikaru reminded the irascible Cyndaquil.

"Hey Float, would you mind Brine-ing a certain Fire-Type for me?" Cody asked in a sickly-sweet voice, turning to the poor Water-Type.

"...Maybe..." he replied fearfully.

Hm. Who knew a water weasel could be afraid of a fire mouse?

**--**

**A/N:**** Ugh, wrote this after staying up all night… My internal clock's all screwy so I'mma see if I can make it to 9pm tonight…**

**I think I'll go get some coffee.**

**A lot of coffee.**


	8. Chap7: Mt Moon

**A/N:**** I had to put this up early because I lost a bet. TT^TT**

**Pikkle; why must you be good at finding loopholes?**

**Will; why couldn't you have won in less than three turns? WHY?**

**--**

We stayed in the alley for a while longer, hiding from the sun and humans alike. It didn't look like we'd get to Mt. Moon like I'd hoped tonight.

"We aren't getting much farther today." Ikaru voiced my concerns, almost as if he'd read my mind.

"Not unless we travel at night." Float piped up, looking away from another doodle.

"Yeah; because we _really_ need to get eaten by Ursaring." Cody sneered sarcastically.

"Hey, we're allowed to speak withou-" Ikaru cut off as Cody shot him a glare.

"…" Jerry sighed slightly, looking out through the entrance from her perch upon the human thing; which she'd called a 'Dumpster'.

"… Wonder if that Vulpix from earlier has food…" I murmured as my stomach growled.

"Probably." Jerry said thoughtfully. "From the way he was talking earlier, it sounded that way, at least."

"Well then shouldn't we find him or something?" Cody suggested. "If he doesn't feel like sharing, we can take over his spot, at least."

"But that's stealing." Float pointed out.

"No; it's survival." she countered.

"Either way, we need to get moving." I interrupted. "Now let's go; if we're lucky we might still make it to the route on the edge of Pewter." I said, walking toward the mouth of the alley. The sky was already turning pink, and dusk was approaching rapidly. If we were to make any sort of progress, we would need to move quickly.

"There aren't any humans, as far as I can see. We should be fine." Jerry said timidly from behind me.

"It wouldn't matter if there _were_ any. They'd be sorry if they messed with us, anyway!" Cody boasted.

"… What if they've got a Golem with them or something?" Float asked naively. "I don't think we'd stand a chance against a fully evolved Pokemon…"

"You're a Water-Type, stupid." Cody retorted.

"But I'm not a fully evolved Water-Type." he pointed out, snickering.

"… Don't make her burn your tail, please." Ikaru sighed.

"Do you wanna leave or what?" I snapped, my patience wearing thin. Without waiting for an answer I padded out of the alley, making sure to keep to the shadows. I could sense the others behind me.

"Keep close." I whispered without looking back before bolting. I could smell Cheri Berry bushes somewhere nearby; they only grew in rocky soil. We were getting close to Mt. Moon.

"Will we find something to eat soon?" Float asked after we'd gotten under the cover of an Oran Berry bush.

"Maybe, maybe not." Ikaru shrugged. I sighed, looking through the leaves. The rock-clad road stopped a few yards away; we'd soon be out on the route that led to Mt. Moon.

"It won't be long now." I said certainly. "We're almost there."

After a short rest, we set out again. The sky was glittering with the first stars of the night, however, and we'd be forced to stop soon. If we didn't find somewhere sheltered and hidden to spend the night, we'd be dead for sure. Though I didn't voice these concerns to my companions, they churned in my stomach and made me feel slightly ill.

--

"I'm tired." Float whined after a few minutes.

"Then find somewhere to rest. We'll go on without ya." Cody snapped.

"Guys, we're all tired. Just drop it…" I murmured.

We were surrounded on both sides by rock walls, though these were natural; humans hadn't made them. Night had completely fallen, and we were bathed in milky light by the moon. There were some small patches of tall grass here and there. Cheri bushes rimmed the clearings and clung to the rocky walls; if we didn't find anywhere else we'd be forced to sleep in one of those; and I was _not_ looking forward to that.

"What if we get ambushed?" Jerry murmured worriedly, looking around.

"Then we'll fight. But I don't think there'll be anyone waiting to attack us out here." I replied. My ankles were aching again, and my paws burned with each step I took. Those human roads had done a number on them…

"I think we should stop…" Jerry sighed. "There isn't much farther we can go before it's too dark to see."

"You're right; but where are we gonna sleep?" Float asked, looking around doubtfully.

"Our only choice seems to be a Cheri Berry bush." I said; turning to head into one of the clearings.

"It's better than nothing, I guess." Jerry sighed reluctantly.

"I'd rather sleep in the grass…" Cody growled.

"In the open?" Ikaru chuckled, walking out toward the small field. When he was nearing one of the bushes, however, he seemed to… disappear. A series of yelps and growls was heard before Ikaru reappeared, his tail singed as he scrambled toward us.

"The hell happened?" Cody demanded.

"I'll tell you what happened." a new voice growled. A moment later Timothy's head appeared and he pulled himself from the ground. "This stupid rat fell into my burrow!" he complained, glaring at us.

"Maybe you shouldn't have your burrow in such an odd place!" I retorted.

"It's more well-protected than anywhere else on this side of Mt. Moon!" he growled, dirty golden fur bristling.

"Then I don't suppose you'd mind letting us stay for the night." I smirked. "I mean, if it's _such_ valuable property, you wouldn't mind showing it off, would you?"

"Why would I let _you_ stay?" he sneered. "There's nothing you could offer in return."

"Maybe, maybe not." I replied vaguely. He eyed us suspiciously before growling and turning away, his tails lashing out behind him as he walked toward his burrow.

"Are you coming or not?" he asked coldly before slipping inside the hole. I shared a glance with my companions before carefully padding toward the hole and dropping inside.

The area was circular, and it would be a tight squeeze for all of us to fit. The ground was covered in dried grass and hay, making everywhere a possible bed. There weren't any stored berries or other types of food, as far as I could see. The only light came from the hole above our heads.

"This doesn't look like such a great place." Cody snorted before curling into a tight ball.

"… I'm still hungry…" Float murmured sullenly before leaning his back against one of the walls and closing his eyes.

"We'll find something in the morning, I guess…" Jerry murmured soothingly to the Buizel before laying flat on her back with her arms on her stomach.

"…We better." Ikaru grumbled, making sure to pick a spot on the opposite side of the room from Cody.

"…Thanks for letting us stay here." I said reluctantly as the Vulpix lay down; his tails sprawled out next to him.

"… Don't mention it…" he murmured, looking at me from the corner of his hazel eye before his breathing relaxed and he fell asleep.

"_Please Arceus, grant us a safe trip."_ I prayed inwardly as I, too, curled up and fell asleep.

--

"Wake up." a cold voice murmured in my ear. "You've been sleeping forever." it said, prodding me gently with a paw.

"… Five more minutes…" I grumbled, turning away to avoid more prodding.

"Don't make me torch you. I only let you stay the night." it growled, prodding harder. Annoyed, I opened one eye to stare up at the golden Vulpix that kept bothering me. Reluctantly, I stood and stretched.

"Where's everyone else?" I asked, looking around at the mostly-empty burrow.

"They're eating; it's almost noon." he said coldly before leaping out of the hole. I sighed before following.

As Timothy had said, I found the others clustered around a massive heap of Cheri Berries, munching happily. The golden Vulpix, however, sat off to the side. He watched the others longingly as they ate the food.

"What's wrong? Why aren't you eating?" I asked curiously, padding toward him.

"I'm allergic to Cheri Berries." he replied, avoiding my gaze.

"Oh. Sorry." I sighed.

"I don't need your pity. I've survived fine on my own all my life." he growled.

"You don't look it." I retorted harshly before turning and walking over to the others.

"Hi, Faith." Float said, waving cheerily after swallowing a berry whole.

"About time you woke up." Cody said, smiling. I sighed and sat down in between her and Jerry before choosing one of the berries for myself. It was spicy, but not enough to bother me much.

"We should get moving after we finish." I said after swallowing. "It's already midday." I sighed.

"Well I've had enough." Jerry shrugged, standing.

"Me too; if I never eat another Cheri Berry, it'll be too soon." Cody nodded.

"Well I'm still hungry." Ikaru protested, stuffing more of the fruit in his mouth.

"Well then hurry up, stupid." Cody growled.

--

"Alright, I'm done." Ikaru announced with a smile after cramming about twenty more of the berries.

"Let's get going then." I nodded, standing and walking toward the road again.

"… Leaving, huh?" Timothy asked coming to stand in front of us.

"Yes." I replied coldly.

"Good; it's about time you lot left." he retorted before brushing past and disappearing into his burrow.

"…Well that wasn't very nice." Float commented with a slight frown.

"Let's just go…" I sighed, padding off again, with the others behind me.

--

We didn't see many trainers, oddly enough; and we'd reached the base of Mt. Moon in about an hour. If we kept going at this rate we'd be at the top by sundown.

Unfortunately, though, I didn't think we _could_ keep going this quickly. At this point, the incline began to increase, and it would be difficult to climb. Just the thought of it made my paws ache and my tail droop.

"… We'd better get climbing. We have a long way to go." I said reluctantly, taking a step forward.

--

It had been about three hours, and we were all tired. Our paws ached and our lungs burned, but we'd have to get there without stopping. I had fallen behind and was at the back of the group after about an hour. The footholds were few and far between, and a fall from this height would be fatal.

I was growing more comfortable as time went on, however. It grew easier to climb, though the incline got steeper, evening it out. I risked a glance back, and immediately regretted it. The once huge-looking Pewter City was merely a cluster of brown, gray, and white dots from up here.

Distracted by the sight of the city, I lost my footing as I took a step, and was sent tumbling down.

--

**A/N:**** It was Pikkle's idea! Blame him!**


	9. Chap8: The Clefairy Tribe pt1

**A/N: I'm really sorry about how late this chapter is; MS Word died on me and I lost all my files. D:**

**But enough self-pitying~! How's about I tell you guys some info on the rest of my fics' statuses? =3**

**Team Twilight's sequel ("P.M.D: The Gem of the Sea") will have its first chapter up sometime in July (the month TT was born); I expect to have at least ten bumper chapters to actually keep up with a weekly update by that time. ^^**

**Trapped (haven't updated it in like forever XD) will be updated sometime soon; it depends.**

**I'm currently writing the third chapter of "I Don't Know the Lyrics"; I'll upload the first chap after I've finished AC (which will be around 40 chapters long).**

**I don't have any real ideas for the next theme in my 100TC, so any suggestions you've got would be great. =)**

"**Stained Glass" has hit a wall; big time. I've been plowing through Writer's Block for at least a month with it. You shouldn't expect an update anytime soon. =(**

**I've been debating continuing "Moonlit Battle"; I actually have quite a few ideas for its plot, using the original one-shot as a prologue. Tell me what you think~!**

**I might tell you more about The Gem of the Sea in later updates, but for now, enjoy the chapter~!**

**--**

I heard one of the others call my name, though I couldn't distinguish the voice as I tumbled down. Rocks and stray tree roots battered me as I went, extracting yelps of pain each and every time.

The rough mountainside was unforgiving, scraping away at my sides and back as I toppled closer and closer to the ground. I had no way of slowing my descent; I was moving much too quickly to do anything like that. So, with my head throbbing, I continued to fall.

I don't remember exactly when I somehow hit my head against a rather large boulder, just that everything went black after that.

--

"Hey, get up." a cold, yet familiar, voice grunted. "Do you _want_ to be eaten by a Persian or something?" he growled. I opened my eyes blearily, pain shooting through every part of my body. The most noticeable was the massive headache and throbbing right forepaw, however.

Timothy was standing in front of me; his hazel eyes gave away annoyance and something else -was it fear?- as he looked down at me.

"What the hell happened?" he asked, gesturing with one paw toward the many bruises and blood that spattered my pelt.

"I fell." I grunted curtly.

"You tried to _climb_ Mt. Moon?" he chuckled. "There's a tunnel, you know."

"Well I _didn't_ know." I growled. "It's not like I live around here."

"Where are the rest of you?" he asked suddenly.

"Still climbing the mountain, I think." I grunted as I tried, and failed, to stand.

"You won't be moving tonight. Not on your own, at least." he said with a slight frown. "You're a mess."

"Look who's talking." I retorted with a glare.

"Whatever." he said, rolling his eyes. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm leaving."

"And abandoning me?" I asked, slight panic in my tone.

"That's the plan." he said over his shoulder.

"I thought your burrow was the other way…?" I murmured in confusion as he padded toward Mt. Moon.

"It is, but that's not where I'm going." And with that, he disappeared behind a turn.

"Just _great_." I growled lowly, looking around myself worriedly.

--

"Hey, look!"

The exclamation came from somewhere close by. I must've fallen asleep sometime after Timothy left. My entire body still throbbed and ached. Groaning, I opened my eyes.

A Pidgey was pointing a wing at me from about three yards away. I noticed, idly, that the tips of her wings were coal-black. A Spearow with an odd satchel stood beside her.

I blinked blearily before trying to stand up, my legs shaking, though I only ended up back on the ground.

"You want some help?" the Spearow called. Without waiting for an answer, he grabbed the Pidgey's wing and ran over, the bird barely keeping her balance as she was forced along.

"You idiot." she sneered, snatching her wing from the other bird's grasp before eyeing me. ". . . What happened? Fall off a cliff?" she asked with a slight smirk.

"Something like that." I replied flatly, looking down. "… Are you gonna help me or not?" I muttered.

"Do you have any broken bones?" the Spearow asked, tilting his head.

"I don't think so… My right forepaw might be sprained though…" I trailed off, wincing as I tried to move it.

"That's not so bad." he chirped, shrugging his bag off and opening it.

"… What are you doing…?" I asked curiously.

"Looking for my Full Restore." he replied, sticking his feathered head inside.

"… What's a Full Restore?" I pondered, half to myself, as he continued fishing inside the satchel.

"It's a healing item that humans use on their Pokemon when they get hurt. I find a lot of human stuff where I live." he explained, his voice muffled as he continued looking.

"How would you-?" I was cut off as the Pidgey spoke.

"He used to have a trainer." she explained curtly.

"I still would if that stupid human didn't think I was so weak…" he grumbled absentmindedly. "When I evolve I'm finding him and showing _him_ who's weak…"

"You keep telling yourself that, Peck." the Pidgey teased, rolling her eyes.

"… Ah-ha! Found it!" he exclaimed, lifting his head; he held an odd translucent container with green liquid inside in his beak. He placed it on the ground facing me.

"You might wanna close your eyes before I spray this." he chuckled mischievously, his foot hovering over the nozzle on top of the container. I nodded, doing as instructed. A moment later, as he pressed down on the nozzle, an odd mist surrounded me; I felt all of my cuts and injuries healing rapidly. Eventually all of my pain had disappeared.

"Thanks…" I murmured, a peaceful smile on my face.

"You're welcome." he replied proudly. I nodded and stood, looking toward the Pidgey again. She was switching from one foot to another impatiently.

"Can we leave? It's getting late." she said to the Spearow.

"You alright to get home?" he asked me. When I nodded, he smiled and turned toward the Pidgey. "Yeah, we can go."

"Finally." she sighed, flapping her wings and rising into the sky quickly.

"Bye!" the Spearow called back with a smile as, he too, flew away.

I looked toward the moon, trying to judge how long I'd been out here. It was almost to the middle of the sky; it'd been at least three hours. I wondered idly how far everyone had gotten; if they'd even made it to the top yet.

I sighed and squared my shoulders; wondering about it wouldn't solve anything. I'd have to find out for myself.

I pressed gingerly at first, still a bit skeptical about my now-healed paw, before sighing and looking toward the mountain. I then started back toward Mt. Moon, this time searching for the tunnel Timothy had talked about.

--

After padding around the base of the mount for about three hours, I finally found a slope that lead up to an opening. I took a leap of faith and went inside; there couldn't be more than one tunnel in this place, after all.

It was dark inside, with a faint _drip-drip_ sound echoing throughout. I could barely see, though I heard human voices somewhere deeper in; I had no doubts that this was the tunnel Timothy had talked about.

I wondered whether or not I should search for the others as I walked through the winding rock tunnels and climbed down human ladders. Should I just wait at the base and hope they found their way down eventually?

I decided I'd wait.

--

**A/N****: Well? Didja like it? Hate it? Late it? =3**

**Kestrel belongs to Areolfos.**

**Until next time,**

**Pixii out~!**


	10. Chap9: The Clefairy Tribe pt2

**A/N: It's been so long… XD;;**

**Pikkle: Icanhas PID naow? :U**

**--**

I'd been wrong to think that there was one, simple, quick route to the outside. In actuality, there were at least ten different tunnels that branched away from the main cavern; I ended up choosing which way to go randomly at each fork in my path.

Aside from the occasional Zubat, the place was relatively deserted. Humans clustered together in some areas in hopes of finding a way out of the darkness, but instead of actually trying to leave, they hovered around a small pool of water and discussed trivial matters.

Though I didn't have much trouble seeing in the dark, the desolate feeling this place gave me was unnerving, and I found myself looking over my shoulder more than once to make sure I wasn't being followed.

Even when I found that there was no one there, I wasn't convinced in the slightest that I was alone.

A voice suddenly echoed through the cave; it was high pitched and annoying, making my skin crawl at the sound.

"Meowy," the feminine voice whined, drawing the word out. "I'm scared."

I heard a deep rumbling purr just before the girl and her Persian, Meowy, came into view. The large cream-colored feline's eyes locked with mine, and I felt my fur stand on end and my heartbeat quicken.

"Meowy, what are you looking at?" the female human pestered, her auburn head-fur bouncing as she tried to identify what her Pokemon was fixated on. The cat only _murr_ed in response as it positioned itself into a hunter's crouch.

_Crap_, I cursed mentally as I turned and tried to get away as quickly as my paws would let me. My eyes were glued to the Persain's form as it gave chase, the mighty bounds it managed in moments allowed it to catch up.

Because I wasn't watching where I was going, I didn't see the dip in the cavern floor in front of me until I stepped into it and, not realizing it was there, lost my footing, and I didn't see the rock I hit my head on after that. I sure as hell felt it, though.

Unfortunately for me, I didn't see what happened next as I blacked out, but I could swear I heard a high-pitched yelp and a defensive roar before I was gone completely.

--

"Wake up you will now?" a sweet voice asked again, gently petting my side. "Wake wake time."

"Mmph?" I blinked my eyes open groggily. Aside from a dull ache on the spot where my head had hit the rock, I didn't feel any pain as I gazed around me.

I was sprawled out on a bed of straw and something soft that I couldn't identify. The room around me looked human-made, but something told me it wasn't. It was dome-shaped and had colorful little stuffed toys scattered across the floor. The rounded walls were painted with random, bright colors. At last my gaze landed on a Cleffa; the sweet-looking child was staring up at me with excited eyes and a broad smile.

"Mommy! Mommy! Awake Ratatta is!" she called ecstatically. About a minute later, a Clefable danced into the room.

"Welcome to our home," she said warmly, nodding her head to me as the Cleffa reached up to her mother for a hug.

"… Where am I?" I asked respectfully.

"In a chamber near the top of Mt. Moon." The Clefable grinned when my eyes lit up happily. Some of the excitement faded, however, when my memories came rushing back all at once.

"How did you find me? Where did that Persian go…?" I muttered curiously.

"The friend-eater was chased away," she assured me. "Our protectors saved you while they were out gathering food." I didn't comment on her odd choice of words, and simply nodded in response.

"Have you seen a group of Pokemon trying to climb the mountain at all?" I asked hopefully as my train of thought strayed to my companions.

"The ones being lead by the angry one?" She tilted her head and put a paw to her mouth in thought. I sighed; "the angry one" could mean either Cody or Timothy, depending on if the rude Vulpix had come across the group again or not.

"What did the angry one look like?" I inquired.

"She's very roundish, and her back throws up fire when angered," she explained. I sighed in relieve; it was Cody. Hopefully she'd been able to keep the group together after I'd gotten separated.

"Is the group here now?" I asked expectantly.

"They're eating in the storage chamber."

"Mommy, food I can have now?" the Cleffa asked, clapping her tiny paws excitedly together. The Clefable nodded and picked the child up.

"Follow if you wish to meet the angry one and her followers," she said over shoulder. I quickly scrambled to my paws, hissing slightly at the pain it caused my head, and followed the pink Pokemon as she lead me through an intricate system of tunnels. The structure and complexity of them gave me a sense of comfort and homesickness at the same time.

Eventually, we made it to the end of a hall where a large stone arch formed the opening to a room; I could hear Pokemon chatting inside, as well as smell the enticing berries' aroma.

Without a word, the Clefable put the Cleffa on the floor, and, almost immediately, the little girl shot off into the room.

"Hello?" I called in after a moment, receiving an approving nod from the celestial Pokemon before she followed her child.

"Faith?" four voices piped in unison, a muffled one that I didn't quite recognize following.

"Yeah?" I replied, padding into the room for the first time. Ikaru, Cody, Float, and Jerry were all sitting around a huge pile of assorted berries. They all waved as I came in; Float, however, didn't stop at that. He stood up and gave me a tight hug.

"We thought you were dead! We held a funeral and everything~!" he exclaimed almost happily before plopping right back down and munching on a Pinap Berry. I scoffed.

"You should have more trust in me. I wouldn't die," I snorted, only half-joking. I didn't want to die.

"That's not how things looked last night," an annoying, now recognizable voice chimed from the corner of the room. None other than the golden-furred Vulpix himself sat there smugly, nibbling idly on a Sitrus Berry as I glared at him. Jerry, obviously not liking the idea of a potential fight, stood and blocked my view of the stupid vulpine.

"We're guests here; show some respect, please," Her usually-timid voice was commanding, though it still had a gentle, quiet ring to it. An awkward silence fell over the area.

"… So, who wants to share this Cheri with me?" Ikaru asked brightly, turning to Cody and offering her half of the fruit. She took the piece gingerly, smiling softly at the Pikachu, who grinned widely back.

The Cyndaquil then proceeded to mash the spicy berry into the poor, unsuspecting Pikachu's eyes.

"My eyes! Oh sweet Arceus, it _burns_!" he howled, rubbing desperately at his fruit-covered face to try and get the sting out. Cody merely chuckled under her breath.

"I told you I hate Cheri's…" she said under her breath. An awkward cough interrupted the spectacle; Ikaru even stopped scratching at his enflamed, bloodshot eyes for a moment to see who'd just arrived.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but there are introductions to be done."

--

**A/N:**** I'mma try to get on top of these again… XD;;**

**Pixii out~!**


	11. Chap10: An Unsettling Discovery

**A/N: I wanna update fast again. D:**

**--**

I turned to examine the new arrival; it was another Clefable, but this one's fur was slightly lighter, (it was only noticeable when he stood directly next to the female) and the tips of his ears, instead of being black, were a bright green. He looked over us all in mingled curiosity and distaste. When no one answered, he repeated his previous statement.

"Well? Is anyone going to speak up?" He looked irritated.

"My name is Faith," I started emotionlessly, hiding my own annoyance as best as I could as I introduced the others. "And this is Cody, Ikaru, Jerry, Float, and-."

"I already know Timothy, thank you," the Clefable interrupted rudely. I didn't ask how.

"We thank you for letting us stay here," Jerry piped up with a bright smile, completely out of character for the timid canine.

"It was nothing; I enjoy helping the needy and worthless," he replied with a haughty smile. I glanced back at Cody to make sure she was under control; Ikaru had stopped trying to "stop the burning", and was now restraining the Cyndaquil so she wouldn't explode on the oddly-colored Clefable.

"Thank you for your hospitality once again, but we must be going; good-bye," I finished hurriedly before ushering everyone out of the cave. It was then that I realized we had no idea how to get out.

"I show you way!" The Cleffa from before chirped happily before bouncing down a side corridor. I looked back at the others and decided she was our best bet.

The baby Pokemon led us down a complicated series of hallways, all sloping downward, for about a half hour until we finally reached a dead end. I stared at the wall blankly in confusion.

"Back back, please," she instructed, waiting until we'd all backed up a few steps before raising her tiny paws. The tips of her even smaller fingers started to glow bright blue, the wall following suit. With a flick of her wrists, the tiny Cleffa had moved the entire wall, which I'd realized was a boulder sealing off the outside world, aside. My eyes burned for a moment as they got used to sunlight again.

"Thanks," Float fluted happily as we all filed out, ruffling the Cleffa's head-fur as he passed by her. We all said our good-byes to the child before padding on down the hill.

The area was open and grassy, a gentle breeze making the grass dance as we headed on. Float took up his singing again; he belted out the lyrics completely off key, and it came to the point that Cody, once again, was trying to maul the weasel Pokemon.

Looking around, I noticed that Timothy had, oddly enough, followed us out at the very back. He had his ears pinned to his head and an annoyed scowl on his muzzle as he glared at the back of Float's head. I couldn't help the giggle that escaped my lips at the sight of the Vulpix.

Float's singing was loud enough to drown my slip-up out, thankfully; though I didn't think Cody or Ikaru would've noticed it. The Pikachu was busy trying to grab the Cyndaquil's paw, and Cody was trying to evade him by slowing and accelerating her pace randomly; why she didn't just burn him was beyond me.

Jerry had her paws behind her head; she was looking up at the cloudless sky thoughtfully. Something about the dog-like Pokemon had changed while we were in Mt. Moon; I was sure of that. There wasn't anything different about the day that I could distinguish, however, so I would need to ponder this another time. We were on our way to Cerulean at the moment, and just getting us there without a hitch would be a challenge.

"If you don't stop singing, I am going to kill you," Timothy growled at Float for emphasis. The Water-type waved a paw dismissively at the threat.

"Lighten up," he chuckled lightly.

"I'll show you-!" Timothy cut himself off as we reached the top of the hill. At the bottom was Cerulean City, the human settlement. Something was very, very wrong, however, I realized in mixed horror and astonishment.

The entire city was charred and burned; there were no sounds coming from it.


	12. Chap11: The Steel Stump

**A/N:**** Sorry I haven't updated in a while; had writer's block and I was dreading writing this chapter. It's so annoying. :c**

**I'm a fan. 8D**

**It's funny; I've improved so much this past year. |D**

**_"I'm soaring now somewhere in the sky…_**

**_The rush of air, never wanting to come down_**

**_There's nothing that I've ever felt like learning how to fly;_**

**_I'm learning how to fly~"_**

--

The silence was deafening; the smell of ashes and smoke choked me and burned my throat. I stool stock-still and blinked rapidly. This reminded me of the time Viridian Forest had almost burned to the ground with my mother still trapped in the tunnels. I didn't think I'd ever been more horrified in my short life. A nudge in my side brought me back to Earth, and I looked over at the culprit, Timothy.

"You done daydreaming yet?" he asked softer than usual; I wasn't the only one unsettled by this, apparently. I covered it up with a glare in his direction.

"Yeah," I murmured.

"So are we going, or what?" Cody asked while shouldering by Timothy and I. "There might still be someone down there."

"But the city's been burned to the ground," Float objected. "How could anyone've survived?"

"They could've been evacuated," Ikaru supplied.

"Perhaps we should stop bickering and look for ourselves?" Jerry suggested calmly. I took this time to square my shoulders and speak up.

"Jerry's right; we won't get anywhere if we stay here."

"Well then let's go," Timothy snorted, pushing to the front of the group, and walking boldly down the hill and toward the charred city. Reluctantly, the rest of us followed.

I was praying to Arceus, if he listened to the prayers of glitches and defects, that we would be safe.

For some reason, I don't think he heard me. Great.

--

It was hard to breathe once we were in the city. The lingering smoke and ashes kept us all, except Cody and Timothy, coughing and hacking. Eventually, Jerry offered to cover us in a "bubble" made of our combined auras, warning us that it might make us feel dizzy at first. Even with the proposed side effects, we all agreed. I'd rather feel lightheaded for a while than lose a lung.

The bubble was similar to the inside of a Protect; a thin-looking dome of blue-ish energy surrounded our little group as we travelled through the deserted town. We looked inside the remains of buildings as we passed them, as well, but there was never anyone inside. I don't know why I expected anything different.

We were just lucky we hadn't found any dead bodies.

"Hey, what's that?" Float asked, thrusting his arm in the direction of an odd-looking tree stump on the outskirts of the city, and hitting Ikaru in the face in the process. The poor Pikachu yelped and fell to the ground, covering his nose with both paws, and whimpering in pain as Cody burst out in laughter.

"Get up, stupid," Timothy said sourly.

"I dink ids bwoken..." Ikaru groaned as he stood back up, removing his paws and showing off his bleeding nose. "Is id bad?"

"No..." Float lied, drawing the word out. Cody hit him on the arm, still laughing, and turned to Ikaru.

"It looks _horrible_," she exaggerated. The Pikachu whimpered in dismay.

"It'll be fine," Jerry said before taking a step forward. "We should take a look at the stump Float pointed out."

"Yeah," I agreed with a nod, looking toward the stump. It looked fake; the bark shined and it didn't seem to have been affected by the fire like the rest of the area.

"Leds go," Ikaru shouted enthusiastically and tried to charge at it, but was stopped, face-first, by the aura bubble and sent to the ground again. The loudest scream I'd ever heard quickly followed, only stopping when Cody burned his tail to shut him up.

"Stupid," she grumbled, dragging him by his now-burnt tail with us as we set off again. He just laid there and whimpered, covering his nose again.

We quickly reached the stump; it didn't even feel like wood. It had more of a smooth texture.

"Hey, what's-?" Timothy started, but was cut off as the stump suddenly lifted off the ground, supported by rock-like poles on four sides. There was a large disk made of the same strange material underneath.

"Wanna see where this leads?" Cody asked, rubbing her paws together evilly.

"Dere mighd be food," Ikaru added excitedly and, without another word, got up off the ground and sprinted onto the disk. The stump made an odd clicking sound and, very slowly, started to lower. The rest of us piled on rapidly, unsure of where this odd thing might take us.

Soon, we were surrounded by darkness on all sides.

"Well this is just great," Timothy grumbled, fidgeting. We were all scrunched together in the limited space, and I was stuck next to the irritable Vulpix.

"Stop moving," I mumbled.

"Get out of my face!" Cody yelled suddenly.

"Where am I supposed to go, huh?!" Float exclaimed unhappily in responce.

"I wadda ged oud of here..." Ikaru mumbled. Almost immediatley after, I was blinded as we lowered into a huge room. It was full of Pokemon busily rushing in all directions with curled-up white leaves in their paws, claws, and in the case of Aipoms, tails; they went in and out holes on the sides of the walls occasionally. The entire establishment reminded me of my old home.

"Excuse me," Jerry said, trying to get the attention of a Magby as he hurried past us. When he, and many other Pokemon, ignored her, Cody kindly stepped in.

"Yo!" she yelled, blowing a small Flamethrower for emphasis, "Can someone tell us where the heck we are?"

Everyone stopped moving and looked toward our odd little group. Some started whispering to each other, and I saw a Kadabra Teleport away, flashing back in almost instantly with an Arcanine at his side. The canine was huge and powerful looking; all of the Pokemon in the crowd cleared a path for him as he made his way toward us. He stopped in front of the oddly-colored Vulpix, who'd taken a step forward without me noticing, and looked down at him. A surprised look flashed in his eyes after a few seconds.

"... Timothy?"

**--**

**A/N: I like torturing Ikaru. :P**

**I wonder who that Arcanine is. =3=**

**HEY PIKKLE, I CAN HAS PID NAOW?**

**Pixii out~**


End file.
